Woodbury Man Blazes His Own Trail

Snowshoe runner Jim McDonell is an unabashed fan of winter (even though we are currently  in month five... and counting) and he can even name his favorite type of snow.

"Light snow is the best. Sugar snow can get hard and make the trail slippery," said McDonell, 57, who lives in Woodbury. "Snowshoe running is never boring because the conditions are different every time."

In this sport, there is no such thing as an event cancellation due to weather. McDonell recalled participating in the Northwoods Race in Duluth several years ago when the temperature was 1 below at the starting line. He refers to that event as one of his all-time favorites.

"It was such a beautiful course," he said.

As a longtime runner and frequent duathlete/triathlete, McDonell prefers single-track running in the middle of the woods (and in the middle of winter) to running on cement, which he does only when forced to for warm-weather events.

It's the lure of snow-covered trails that beckons McDonell, usually two or three times per week, to strap on his ultra-light aluminum snow shoes and head over to Lake Elmo Park Reserve or Afton State Park—two of his favorite trails.

McDonell is also well known among members of his snowshoe running group and others for his "unique" attire on the trails. Even in the heart of winter, McDonell can be seen in running shorts and a singlet, along with earmuffs and gloves.

"Your head loses heat the fastest, so that's why I wear the earmuffs," he said. "You get really hot when you are snowshoe running. I used to wear long pants and a long shirt, but it just made me feel claustrophobic."

Race-day attire is another story. When McDonell competes in snowshoe running events—such as the upcoming 2011 United States Snow Shoe Association national championships, which will be held over the weekend of March 12 in Cable, Wis.—he always honors his Scottish heritage in somewhat surprising ways.

"I'm a big fan of the movie Braveheart and the primal-ness of it," he said. "I think there is a sense of primal-ness in snowshoe running, too. On race days, I paint my face half blue and half white like Mel Gibson did in the movie."

And what about a kilt? Yes, that is part of McDonell's race day attire and in fact, the kilt he wears is one he found online—it's an exact replica of Gibson's kilt in the film.

McDonell has covered a lot of snowy ground in the 10 years he has spent on the trails; a five-time participant in the USSSA championships, he has traveled to New York, Alaska, Oregon and Vermont to race.

"I've met a lot of friends through the sport," said McDonell. "I've also seen a lot of racers who are in their 70s and 80s out running on the trails. They are pretty amazing."

The upcoming event in Wisconsin will mark the official end of the 2011 snowshoe running season, but as long as there is snow on the ground, McDonell will be out enjoying it.

"Winter is my favorite season," he said. "When I'm out on the trails, I get such an endorphin rush, such an adrenaline rush."